Belgium says will prioritize air defense, drones under NATO spending push

Belgium will prioritize investments in air defense, drones and advanced military capabilities as it increases defense spending in line with NATO commitments, the country's foreign minister said Wednesday.

"In the current tense geopolitical context, it is indispensable to strengthen both the unity and coherence of NATO, as well as its deterrence capacity," Maxime Prevot told Anadolu ahead of the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.

He acknowledged that Belgium had long lagged behind other allies on defense spending but said the country has now reached NATO's benchmark.

"The government has ensured that Belgium is back," he said.

He said Belgium's priorities include strengthening air defense systems, investing in drones and continuing acquisitions of F-35 fighter jets.

The minister also highlighted Belgium's internationally recognized expertise in mine detection and clearance, saying the country intends to invest in additional frigates.

Prevot agreed with calls for European allies to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

"Even if the tone used to explain it has sometimes been unpleasant, the United States is right in asking Europeans to take greater responsibility for financing the security of their own continent," he said.

"We invested in defense not because we suddenly fell in love with it, but because today's security threats, mainly coming from Russia, cannot be ignored," he said.

'Ukraine has lessons to teach'

Prevot pointed to the war in Ukraine as evidence that warfare has fundamentally changed.

"We still tend to have a rather conventional approach to armaments in Western Europe, one that is no longer fully in line with the new way conflicts are fought," he said.

Describing Ukraine as having evolved from a beneficiary of Western security assistance into a provider of security expertise, he said Kyiv has become a model in areas such as drone warfare and the military use of artificial intelligence.

"Ukraine now has many lessons to teach us," he said.

Prevot said Belgium recognizes the growing importance of drones and AI and intends to integrate those technologies into its future defense planning.

'Türkiye plays a major role in Europe's security'

Prevot also praised Türkiye's role within NATO, recalling the recent Belgian economic mission led by Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

He said the visit in May demonstrated Belgium's confidence in its partnership with Türkiye and its recognition of Ankara's strategic importance.

"Türkiye plays a major role in the security of the European continent by defending Europe's southeastern flank," he said.

He described the decision to hold this year's NATO summit in Ankara as "extremely significant" and congratulated the Turkish authorities for hosting the meeting.

Prevot said Belgium also wants to deepen defense industrial cooperation with Türkiye.

He noted that both countries possess globally recognized defense industries and said the objective is to identify mutually beneficial partnerships.

"What we want is to identify useful partnerships, create more contacts and also more contracts," he said.